Memphis house fire becomes shooting, too

Posted: Thursday, March 09, 2000

By Teresa M. WalkerAssociated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Firefighters responding to a house fire Wednesday were ambushed by an off-duty Memphis firefighter who stepped out of the garage and began shooting, authorities said. Two firefighters and a sheriff's deputy were killed, and a woman was found dead in the garage.

The suspected gunman, Fred Williams, was wounded and was undergoing surgery, Police Director Walter E. Crews said. A bystander also was wounded, but not seriously.

Williams had just returned to work as a firefighter this week after an extended leave on disability, Crews said.

Williams did not live in the house, and his relationship to the woman found dead in the garage was unclear, Crews said. Authorities also were uncertain how the woman was killed and whether the fire was set to cover up her death.

Firefighters were called to the home just before 1 p.m. When they arrived, witnesses said, a man came out of the garage firing a shotgun and shouting, ''Get away! Get away!''

Firefighters Lt. Javier Lerma and Pvt. William Blakemore were killed. Sheriff's Deputy Rupert Peete was shot in his patrol car as he responded to the report of the shooting, authorities said. His car crashed through a fence and ended up next to the house.

Memphis police officers then arrived and tried to get the gunman to put down his weapon. When he refused, ''one of our officers got into a gun battle and the suspect was shot,'' Crews said.

The shootings occurred in a prosperous neighborhood of mostly one-story brick houses and well-kept yards at the edge of the city.

The fire was put out within a couple of hours.

Before firefighters arrived, neighbors reported seeing smoke coming from the house and alerted the suspect, but he said everything was fine, according to authorities. Soon after, deputies and firefighters arrived and were ambushed.

''It's a tragic thing for the city and for the families. The firemen, police, they put their lives on the line a lot but they don't expect to be shot at the scene of a burning house,'' President Clinton said during interview with CNN.